


Three Hours After

by RickStoryTeller



Series: The 100: Clarke and Lexa [1]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: "Post Mount Weather", "Tactical Discussion", Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-13
Updated: 2015-05-13
Packaged: 2018-03-30 10:16:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3933019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RickStoryTeller/pseuds/RickStoryTeller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A troubled Lexa is in her war camp tent after successfully saving the clans from the Mountain Men and Mount Weather, at the expense of Clarke and her people.  A discusion, with Indra on what she hopes will happen and what needs to be done follows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Hours After

**Author's Note:**

> Due to the popularity of my initial story, this is to be read as part one - a sort of prologue. 'What did your heart tell you?' should be read as part two. Other works are in progress and will follow.
> 
> This is a work of fanfiction, based on reading the many published interviews and reviews of the show and it's stars/producers along with personal observations made from watching the show.

3 Hours after the deal had been made.

Lexa paced in her tent, the clans were celebrating their Commander’s victory in bringing back their people. The freed prisoners were in bad shape, some had died, their bodies giving out due to the bodily strain from the continued blood harvesting, but most alive, and free with a truce meaning no more reapers, no more abductions, torture and death. Fifty years of pain and suffering for her people was over. But at what price?

She couldn’t get the image of Clarke’s face out of her mind. The look of devastation, her eyes brimming with tears. The words “Please don’t do this.”  
Lexa felt sick. The same way she had felt when news reached her that Costia had been captured. The same worry that something bad would happen. It was funny how a situation occurring years later could bring back an identical feeling to something that had happened long ago.

‘Clarke is different.’ She thought to herself, ‘Resourceful and she has people who will help her. She will do what she has to and she will live……I pray.’ She remembered what she had told Clarke before the battle.

"Plans don’t last long in battle." 

When at war you make your initial plans but you have no idea what will happen, the unexpected can throw the balance of an entire battle, get people killed. War is about constantly making and re-making plans, taking opportunities and chances whilst trying your best to foresee the risks before the enemy does. A morbid game where every move costs more than pride. Where every move can cost a life or more. And where you may have to do the unthinkable to gain the upper hand and win that battle. Weighing up the sacrifices and choosing the right lives to sacrifice. Using your head, not your heart no matter how much it may be pulling you in the opposite direction to the right one.

‘Let the warriors and the other clans celebrate’ Lexa thought to herself. They had earned it. She, herself didn’t feel like celebrating. Taking the deal and leaving the Sky people to fate and chance was one of those unthinkable decisions but she would bear the consequences so her people wouldn’t have to. She knew she had made the right call, but it didn’t make her feel any better about making it. She wanted to hold onto the small glimmer of hope that had come with that decision.

There was a slim chance, an opportunity, that flashed across her mind when Emmerson offered the deal on Mount Weather’s behalf and she hoped her thinking had been right. She hoped, in those few seconds, that her strategic skill had produced the right conditions for a change in fortunes whilst avoiding the horrific alternative she was faced with for not accepting the deal. A change that might save her people but also give Clarke a fighting chance. As long as Clarke recognised that chance.

Emmerson had said “We release your people. You take them and your army and leave. A complete retreat. We only need the sky-people we have, there aren’t many left. We keep them we don’t need your people. There will be no more reapers and no more blood harvesting.”

“If I refuse?” Lexa had asked

“Then,” Emmerson continued, “We kill all the prisoners. We know your army isn’t all your clan. If they find out you let them die just to save your friend Clarke’s people, they will cut you down, wipe out the sky-people and anyone loyal to you. As well as that we will launch missiles at all clan populations and three at Polis. Thousands will die….along with you, Clarke and her people.”

She had only seconds to weigh things up but she had seen the flaw in their plan, a desperate one. She saw the opportunity and she took it. It would cost her, it would cost her Clarke but it was there and she couldn’t think about her personal loss. She also realised one small detail that had to be taken care of carefully.

“I will accept on one condition, you are our hostage until I know my people are out of your mountain.”

Emmerson had agreed. They tied his hands and quickly went back to the entrance. They needed to get there before the blown door could be pulled open. They had arrived in time to stop the warriors just as Clarke had shouted for them to attack.

She went over what had happened at the entrance. How Clarke had accused her of not caring. How she had replied that she did, but that she had to make the decision with her head not her heart. The fact was her heart was breaking. In a way that had only happened once before, another occasion when she realised a happy future had been torn away in the heat of conflict. She remembered Clarke’s face again.

“Please don’t do this.”

Lexa shook her head, hoping the image would dissolve like a picture drawn in the sand and washed away by the sea.

“Commander?” a voice said behind her, bringing her back to reality.

“Indra. Is it done?”

“Yes Commander. He was angry. He insulted you, said you had disrespected us all. Insolence.”

“It is to be expected but it had to be done like that.”

“I dismissed the guards, left the knife and left a gap in our perimeter. Our guards were told not to apprehend him.” Indra then asked “Why not just leave him at the mountain?”

“The terms were clear Indra,” Lexa explained “A complete withdrawal of all our warriors or our people would suffer. Clarke told me Octavia would never leave her brother and I know Lincoln would never leave Octavia. I had to let Emmerson see he had been taken back forcibly if he protested. He did.”

“You think we were being watched? Is that why it had to look like an escape from here?” Indra asked.

“Probably not, but I don’t trust the mountain men. The chance could not be taken, it all had to look authentic. If what I hope happens now, happens then our only problem will be keeping the Coalition together, if not then at least we have bought some time and we could turn the table still, to protect ourselves and whatever is left of the Sky People.” Lexa replied.

“Turn the tables Commander?”

“Yes,” Lexa continued, “If the mountain men win they will start to leave the mountain. They will not have the protection of their defences and that gives us a tactical advantage.”

“You have gained us a glorious victory Commander. You have saved our people.” Indra said proudly.

Lexa turned away and said quietly “I don’t feel very victorious.”

“If I may ask Commander?” Indra enquired, “What is your plan? Why do I have scouts watching the mountain and why I have sent scouts to the Sky-Peoples’ camp?”

“To give Clarke an opening. It’s simple enough. Our Army was too big. The mountain men had the advantage but in their desperation they misunderstood one thing. Clarke’s determination to save her people. The mountain men believed everyone had left, but Clarke would not have. Octavia would not have and they mentioned nothing of having captured Octavia’s brother or any of the people in the mountain helping her.”

Indra started to realise Lexa’s reasoning as she continued.

“Emmerson had seen us take Lincoln, our people were released and he saw me break the alliance with Clarke. He ran back in almost immediately. They had no idea Octavia had stayed in the mine tunnel. No idea Clarke would stay and, if Bellamy had not been captured, then it may be they are too busy to know if Clarke has infiltrated with a much smaller group. They also made a tactical mistake. A flaw in a desperate plan. They have left themselves with no hostages, no leverage. They cannot afford to bargain with their prisoners’ lives, cannot let them go in return for anything. They need to kill them and take their blood. If Clarke, gets into the Mountain then she will have the chance to do what must be done. However the fates play their hand I have to believe our withdrawal was, at least, a distraction. I hope Clarke has realised she can take advantage of that.”

“So we wait?” Indra asked.

“No. It is up to Clarke now. Her decision to continue or not. She is on her own, with her own plans and we are no longer allies.” Lexa paused at that, then said, “I ride to Polis shortly. I have to be there if Clarke is victorious over the mountain men. I have confidence in her abilities and confidence that she will be able to use them. If Clarke saves her people, then I need to be in Polis to start convincing the Coalition to stay together and that Clarke’s people are not a threat. There are factions that will believe the Sky-People a bigger enemy if they wipe out the mountain men.”

“So my scouts are waiting to see the outcome?” Indra understood.

“When you know if the mountain men are dead or alive, and if Clarke returns, send word to me in Polis immediately.” Lexa said. Indra nodded.

“You will be away for some time. What are your orders?” Indra asked.

“You will take Command for me. You are loyal Indra and I trust you. There is to be no contact with the Sky-People. Tell our people that anyone breaking this rule will be punished according to our laws. Nobody is to attack the Sky-People, unless I order it. Scouts are to watch them from a distance to keep us appraised of any attempt to attack us. If the Mountain Men are victorious the scouts will watch the territory they negotiated. Any breach of that territory then we take the appropriate action.”

“And if the Sky People do not attack, but want to re-negotiate peace?” Indra asked.

“If the mountain men are victorious and the sky-people wish to stay allies, then I am willing to speak on their behalf to bring them into the coalition. If the mountain men are dead, and it is the wish of the Sky-People to make peace, then begin the negotiations and keep me appraised. But only with Marcus of the Sky-People. He is the only one I trust to be open to the idea. He will be the sole voice of reason in their camp at the moment, and the only person allowed into our camps and villages until time has healed the sting of, what they will see as a betrayal. That is also why I cannot be here.” Lexa said.

Indra looked at her Commander with concern. They had won a great victory and yet she looked defeated, lost.

“What has this cost you Commander?” Indra asked.

“It is of no concern,” Lexa sighed, “I did this for my people. I had a duty to save them. If I can help save the Sky-People in order to ensure peace between our two peoples and avoid further bloodshed, then it adds to our fortune. My first duty was to save our people though. That has been done and whatever else it has cost me is of no consequence.”

“I am concerned though Commander. I have not seen you like this since…” Indra trailed off, knowing better.

“I know.” Lexa replied, “I hope what I have done is worth it. Whatever the outcome I, and I alone, will live with it. Now, you have your orders. Saddle a horse and notify my guard. I leave within the hour.”

Indra nodded and left the tent.

Lexa stared at the battle model of Mount Weather on the table.

Thinking of Clarke’s face again, she said quietly to herself, “I hope it was worth it.”

**To be continued in ‘What did your heart tell you?’**


End file.
